Duke Blue Devils

Duke Blue Devils

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Duke senior S Jeremy Cash, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper, is the best senior safety prospect in the country.

Cash plays a roving, hybrid linebacker/slot corner/safety position that is called the "strike safety" in Duke's system. "In other words, he's expected to be able to make plays in the box, and he does just that," Kiper wrote. "He had 111 [tackles] last year, and the one-time Ohio State Buckeye who transferred to Duke is in line for a big senior season." The 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior has logged 232 tackles, 20 TFL, 5.5 sacks, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups, seven QB pressures, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 27 career games. Cash was the only DB in the country last year to collect 100-plus tackles, 10-plus TFL and 5-plus sacks.

Duke redshirt senior LB Kelby Brown will miss his final collegiate season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.

It is the same injury that kept Brown out of the 2014 season. That comes after undergoing two surgeries on his right knee, in 2010 and 2012. Brown has used every season of eligibility and finishes his 32 game career with 242 tackles and 23.5 tackles for loss.

The analyst ranks Edwards as the No. 11 safety in the land. "While only 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Edwards has been an all-purpose playmaker for the Blue Devils the last two years," Brown wrote. Indeed, Edwards has three kick return touchdowns over the past two years and also returned two picks for scores as a freshman. His defensive stats last year were insane: 133 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and five forced fumbles.

Per Sports on Earth's Matt Brown, Duke senior S Jeremy Cash is the best safety in the country.

Kind of. You see, Cash is one of three Duke starting safeties, and he plays a roving, hybrid linebacker/slot corner/safety position. "He's a versatile playmaker, one who displays superior instincts and recognition skills," Brown wrote. "The 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior seemingly has a hand in every play, and he's been a big part of Duke's rise the last few years." Cash, who began his career at Ohio State prior to transferring, briefly considered hopping to the NFL over the winter, but ultimately decided to return to campus. Cash has logged 232 tackles, 20 TFL, 5.5 sacks, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups, seven QB pressures, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 27 career games.

Duke redshirt senior C Matt Skura's "won't be a first round pick like Tomlinson, but he'll boast a similar résumé that will have NFL scouts interested," observes CBS Sports' Dane Brugler.

"He has average size, strength and movement skills for the position and watching him on tape, he doesn't offer much physically that truly sets him apart, but what does stand out is his ability to minimalize negative plays. Skura is smart with terrific awareness, showing both pre- and post-snap anticipation to make the correct line calls and put himself in position to protect the pocket. He won't be a first round pick like Tomlinson, but he'll boast a similar résumé that will have NFL scouts interested," Brugler wrote. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Skura is heading into his third year as the the Blue Devil's starting center and has started 27 consecutive games. The Duke prospect has been named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the top center in the nation.

"A "stalwart in the program" according to David Cutcliffe, Brown's durability will always be a question mark, but he is an instinctive, determined chaser who plays the game like an extra coach on the field. While he has draftable talent, his injury history could be the key to his NFL projection,"Brugler wrote. The leader of the Blue Devil's defense has had three ACL surgeries in 5 years, but Brown has shown that he's been able to persevere through all the adversity. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Brown should be 100 percent by the start of the 2015 season.

"Often lining up near the line of scrimmage as a nickel cornerback, NFL scouts like Cash's versatility and instincts in coverage, reading and anticipating well to drive on plays in front of him. He is often fixated on the ball that he doesn't see approaching blockers, lacking ideal functional strength to easily stack-and-shed at the point of attack," Brugler wrote. The former Ohio state transfer has been super productive for the Blue Devils with 100-plus tackles in both 2013 and 2014. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Cash earned All-America honors, second-team All-ACC honors this past season. Cash had offseason arthroscopic knee surgery in February which kept him out of spring practice, but he should be ready to go for the 2015 season.

Duke HC David Cutcliffe is the eighth-best head coach in the country, according to NFL Media.

It's a startlingly high ranking, but not unjustified with the work Cutcliffe has done at Duke, one of the hardest schools to win at in the country. "Cutcliffe might be the second-best coach on campus thanks to Mike Krzyzewski, but Cutcliffe ranks highly on this list for turning the Blue Devils' football program into an ACC title contender," wrote College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer. "While program building has been his recent calling card, there's a reason why so many quarterbacks (such as the Manning brothers) continue to seek his advice, as he's one of the best around at coaching the game's most important position." NFL Media's Gil Brandt reported in January that Michigan offered its head coaching job to Cutcliffe. He declined, leading to Jim Harbaugh's hiring.

In the first round, in other words. "Cash (6-2, 205) might not line up outside on Sundays, but proving himself as a slot cover man during the 2015 season should help him join teammate Laken Tomlinson as an initial-round selection," Reuter wrote. The analyst ranks Cash as the No. 12 senior draft prospect. Cash has logged 232 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups, seven QB pressures, six caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 27 career games. He was arguably the nation's most productive DB last year. You know, if you think Gerod Holliman's interceptions were due in part to luck.

Cofield (6'4/310) was a 42-game starter for the Blue Devils, earning third-team All-ACC recognition as a senior left tackle. He has plus length (34" arms), big hands (10") and showed adequate athleticism at the Combine with a 5.19 forty and 30-inch vertical. Cofield is a good enough run blocker to eventually push for playing time at right tackle or guard, but lacks the foot speed and pass-protection skills to stay on the blind side.

The Lions had a "B" draft and effectively shored up a problematic offensive line, opines ESPN's Mel Kiper.

The Lions acquired Broncos C Manny Ramirez in a trade to move down in Round 1 and then chose arguably the draft's best pure guard in Duke's Laken Tomlinson. "Even if Tomlinson is a bit of a reach, you added one starter and potentially two with the value of a single pick," Kiper wrote. Detroit popped Ameer Abdullah in Round 2 to replace Reggie Bush and then fortified secondary and defensive line depth, respectively, by taking Alex Carter and Gabe Wright.

Boone (6'0/231) was a two-year starter for the Blue Devils, completing 58.5 percent of his career throws with a 38:24 TD-to-INT ratio. He added 16 rushing touchdowns, but won't be an NFL scrambling threat with 5.03 speed and an 8-foot-4 broad jump. Boone is short and stocky with a backup-caliber arm and wildly unpredictable ball placement. He would do well to mirror fellow former Duke quarterback Thad Lewis' career.

Crowder (5'8/185) was a three-year starter, parlaying 283 career catches into 3,641 yards (12.9 YPR) and 23 touchdowns. He added four TDs on punt returns between his junior and senior years. Crowder managed a 4.56 forty at the Combine, but improved to 4.46/4.48 at the Duke Pro Day. He has a 37-inch vertical and 10-foot-3 broad jump. A quicker-than-fast slot receiver with return value, Crowder has been compared to Harry Douglas by SI's Doug Farrar.

Tomlinson (6'3/323) made 52 starts for Duke -- all at right guard -- and earned first-team All-American accolades as a senior. He didn't allow a sack in 2013 or 2014. Tomlinson ran 5.33 with a 31 1/2-inch vertical at the Combine, pumping 25 reps on the bench. A heavy-handed power blocker with plus arm length (33 5/8") for a guard, Tomlinson is a phone-booth lineman and tempo setter in the trenches. Likened to new teammate RG Larry Warford by Mike Mayock, Tomlinson should make an instant impact in the run game at left guard. The Lions also acquired C Manny Ramirez from the Broncos by trading down.

An anonymous NFL scout told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that if "there's a first-round guard in this draft and he's not a conversion it's" Duke OG Laken Tomlinson.

"He's a plug-and-play, start-first-day right or left guard," he said. "He plays better than (Chance) Warmack. He's big, athletic, he can pull, he can block at the point, he's smart. He might be a great center, too, if you tried him there." Tomlinson is sharp and wants to be a doctor after his playing days are over, but scouts do not question his love for the game. "He looks better on the hoof than any subject in the draft other than Scherff," another scout said. "Great kid, smart (Wonderlic of 23). But how many Duke linemen have there been? You can't name them. Plus, he gets over his toes. He's top-heavy."